Willingness to war

[IrishHand]

I read an interesting conversation today, and I was curious what some of you all thought about it in light of current world affairs. It reads, in relevant portion:

Interviewer: "I do not think that the common people are very thankful for leaders who bring them war and destruction."

Politician: "Why, of course, the prople don't want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece. Naturally, the common people don't want war. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship."

Interviewer: "There is a difference. In a democracy the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives and in the United States only Congress can declare war."

Politician: "Oh, that is well and good, but voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them that they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."

[MMMMMM]

Tell them(us) they're being attacked? As if we don't know? As if terrorists and terrorist supporters haven't told us, both by actions and in words?

This politician severely underestimates the intelligence of the people (if he's talking about Americans in the 21st century). If he's talking about third-world populations he could be more or less correct, since most of their information is very limited and highly state-controlled (religion-controlled, too, in most Islamic countries). If instead he's talking about Europeans, he's only half-right;-)

Sometimes things aren't nearly as complicated as people try to make them out to be (at least regarding the major points). The last poll I read a month or so ago, the people of the USA favored war against Iraq, by a healthy margin. It's really mostly just common sense, and Saddam Hussein declared war against us 2 or 3 years ago anyway with a full-page ad on Christmas Day calling for Jihad against the USA and Israel. Well...it'll soon be good-bye Saddam...and most of the world, including most Iraqis, will say good riddance. Only his cohorts won't, and a few ivory tower intellectuals who wouldn't know the evils of Fascism if it bit them like a bear trap.

In a way, it might actually be a good thing that many of the current Fascist governments of the world are rising up now against the West. Better to defeat them now than after they all get nukes. The history books of the 22nd century may summarize things as follows: Democracy defeated Nazi-Fascism in the mid-20th century. Democracy defeated Communist-Fascism in the latter 20th century and first half of the 21st century. Democracy defeated Islamo-Fascism in the first half of the 21st century.

[brad]

yeah i think that was goerring